Phono input on receiver

[rastafar]

So my old receiver had an input specifically for a turntable. It recently died and now I need to replace it. I don't have a lot to spend on a new one (dead one only cost $200) and I can't find an inexpensive one with that input.

So my question is do I actually need that specific input? What does it do? I also plan on connecting two turntables and realize that I will need a mixer to do that. Will that change things?

Thanks for any help on this.

 

[Swerd]

So my question is do I actually need that specific input? What does it do? I also plan on connecting two turntables and realize that I will need a mixer to do that. Will that change things?

The output from a phono pickup cartidge is about 4-5 mV. The output from most any other line-level source is much higher, about 100-200 mV. So you need a phono preamp to boost the signal and to equalize it properly so the sound is balanced and not tinny sounding. Most older receivers, like yours, had this built in and were fed signal by the phono input jack.

If you have moving magnet (not moving coil) pick ups on your turntables, get an inexpensive phono preamp like the Audio Technica PEQ3. You can plug it into any RCA jacks on a receiver that accept standard line-level input signals, such as a CD or DVD player.